A video of Prince William and Princess Kate at the farmer’s shop was supposed to calm the minds of worried fans. But speculation about the princess continues – also fueled by the US press.
Where is Princess Kate? This question actually seemed to be resolved last weekend. On Sunday, British media reported that William and Kate were seen shopping at a local farm shop in Windsor. A day later the supposed proof followed. The “Sun” and the US portal “TMZ” published a video of the royals, recorded by another customer of the store. The two of them stroll happily and happily along the parking lot of the farm shop, Kate is even carrying a bag and looks healthy. So everything is fine? Not quite.
Because it didn’t take long until the first doubts about the video arose online. They are fueled, among other things, by “TMZ” – of all places, the portal that originally distributed the video. Because those responsible in the editorial department there are no longer sure that Kate in the video is actually the real princess. An employee from the photo department of “TMZ” argues that Kate’s jawline looks different and that her height is not quite right.
Video of Princess Kate and Prince William: US media feeds doubts
Doubts are also currently fueling American users online and the US press. Moderator Andy Cohen wrote on X, formerly Twitter: “That ain’t Kate…”. And Cohen isn’t the only one for whom the Royals’ farm shop video is the moon landing of the 21st century. In countless articles online, every second of the short clip is dissected, every pixel is currently up for debate. The fact that so many theories come from across the pond is not surprising.
Because the British press and the royals have a unique relationship that benefits from give and take. Prince William in particular has invested a lot over the years to ensure that the media respects him and his family and that his mother’s story does not repeat itself. He knows how the game works better than almost anyone else. What he has to give so that the press will leave him alone. However, such agreements are the same for the US media. And then William, of all people, made a big mistake.
Everything changed on February 27th, almost a month ago, when Prince William canceled his participation in his godfather’s funeral service at short notice for “personal reasons”. While conspiracy theories about Kate’s whereabouts were previously only found in remote corners of the Internet and were hardly taken seriously, Williams’ rejection caused a turnaround. Merely citing “personal reasons” when the royal family is going through its biggest crisis in years was almost negligent. Williams’ inadequate explanation opened the door to speculation and conspiracy theories. For the first time, US media in particular took up the absurd rumors. And even the English press was not satisfied with the heir to the throne’s explanation and took further action.
Hobby detectives on TikTok
What’s added is social media. Because, especially on TikTok, you can find countless videos in which hobby detectives go on the trail of the princess. Striking: Many of the users who are turning the royal PR chaos into a true crime story are Americans. Because they don’t understand British reticence. The American PR expert Molly McPherson has already published several videos on the platform in which, among other things, she examines the palace’s public relations work. The expert argues that he has lost control of the reporting and makes it clear that there is a lack of understanding of the royals’ communication strategy, especially in the USA.
The wave of doubt now seems to have spread to England. BBC sports reporter Sonja McLaughlan wrote on X that it was “obviously not Kate” who could be seen in the court video. “I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but this is all very strange,” said McLaughlan. A remarkable statement that McLaughlan is currently receiving a lot of criticism.
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But why doesn’t interest in “Kate Gate” die down? Anna Whitelock, professor of the history of the monarchy at City University in London, explains the phenomenon to AP (Associated Press). “The power and legitimacy of the monarchy rests on its visibility. Visibility is the ‘contract’ between a monarch and his people,” said Whitelock. The late Queen was aware of this. She once said that she had to be seen to be believed. Simeon Yates, professor of digital culture at the University of Liverpool, also told AP that there is currently an “information gap” that people are filling. Especially on TikTok and Co. you can find enough material to fill the vacuum left by the palace with the most exciting stories. “It’s quite an emotional thrill when you think, ‘I know there’s a secret going on,'” Yates explains.
The best way for Kensington Palace itself to fill the gap is to release a video of the princess that shows her clearly and clearly. This step wouldn’t be completely absurd anyway, after all King Charles III also published. After his cancer diagnosis, moving images of himself leafing through letters from his people. However, Kensington Palace would first have to admit that its previous PR strategy – the request for respect for privacy – has failed.
Sources://TikTok/X
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I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
